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One becomes two: Stella In Two Peony and Amber |
UK. Yves Saint Laurent Beauté unveiled a new fragrance – or more precisely two – from British designer Stella McCartney in London earlier this month. Stella In Two will make its debut exclusively at Selfridges on 17 August. The international roll-out is scheduled from mid-September.
The designer’s debut fragrance Stella, launched in 2003, has performed well for the group, despite its (deliberately) more limited distribution. Sales to date in 2006 are up by around +26%, according to YSL.
Moreover, in a recent interview with The Moodie Report, YSL Beauté’s Chairman and CEO Chantal Roos noted: “We have a fabulous programme behind (Stella) because it’s a brand that can be really strong. Stella herself is young and famous in her own right. She is well known for her beliefs and is a big personality.
“We have a lot of plans I can’t yet reveal, but I’m sure you can imagine that we could do everything with Stella in the world of beauty, it’s just one of those brands. What I will say is it has the potential for cosmetics and even for skincare.”
But this year’s focus will be another fragrance. As its name suggests, Stella In Two comprises two separate scents: Stella In Two Peony and Stella In Two Amber. They can be worn alone or layered together, according to the wearer’s mood.
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The Stella In Two ad campaign aims to depict different facets of the same woman |
There will also be two different formats. Stella in Two Amber will be available as a solid perfume (priced domestically at £23); Stella in Two Peony as a liquid edt, in 25ml (£27), 50ml (£37) and 75ml (£47) sizes.
The fragrances will be complemented by a 150ml Moisturising Body Milk (£24) and a 150ml Exfoliating Shower Gel (£21). In line with McCartney’s beliefs, the bath and body line contain 100% organic active ingredients, with no GMOs, no animal testing, and no chemical preservatives.
The packaging colour scheme is a delicate pale pink, with the Stella In Two logo in the designer’s signature shade of plum. The outer cartons, and the ad, are accessorised with a band of hot pink.
In line with the fragrance concept, the advertising visual shows a multi-faceted woman. It features two separate model shots, designed to represent two different moments in a woman’s life. Both Stella In Two Amber and Peony are pictured.
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Chantal Roos: “We are all very proud of the sales and rankings we have achieved so far [with Stella]. Now we are gathered for the start of another adventure” |
“Step-by-step, the Stella fragrance is establishing itself as a modern classic,” declared Roos at the launch event. “This is due not only to the beautiful juice, packaging and advertising, but to the entire input of Stella too.”
She continued: “We are all very proud of the sales and rankings we have achieved so far. Today we are gathered together for the start of another adventure.”
“We take fragrance very seriously,” explained McCartney. “I personally really believe in it, and I don’t like the fact that fragrance has become very disposable, something that isn’t meant to last very long any more.
“Stella [the fragrance] is something we were really proud of, and we wanted to introduce another audience to it. A way to do that, I felt, was to split the two original elements of rose and amber.”
Hence the separation of – and focus on – peony and amber. “Rose is powdery, feminine and girly,” noted McCartney. “You either love it, or you hate it, so [to broaden the appeal] we brought in peony, which to my surprise is a rose. It’s lighter, airy, delicate and a much younger scent.”
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The full Stella In Two product line-up |
With a more masculine, sensual feel, the amber is a perfect foil. “I felt it should be solid,” explained McCartney. “Of course, that makes it very portable and ideal for travel. It’s something you can keep with you at all times; it doesn’t have to stay in the bathroom.”
McCartney was keen to emphasise the calibre of the fragrances. “They are high quality, because the ingredients are high quality,” she underlined. “A lot of fragrances today smell very synthetic because companies don’t want to invest a lot of money creating them. But for example, you can smell the quality of the amber for Stella in Two. YSL has certainly put its money where its mouth is in terms of ingredients.”
Both Roos and McCartney highlighted the “mix-and-match” element of the line. “In a sense, in the industry today, you’re very dictated to about your fragrance,” noted the latter. “You buy it, spray it on and it overwhelms you. The only control you have is how much you put on, and how long you wait before you re-apply it.
“I wanted to let the customer have a little bit more freedom and control about the way they applied their fragrance.”
McCartney concluded: “All the elements of Stella In Two, including the packaging and the advertising, have a more youthful edge to it. It’s fresher, lighter and more energetic – and much more a fragrance for day [than the original].
MORE STORIES ON YSL/STELLA McCARTNEY
YSL Beauté: The house that Roos rebuilt – 27/01/06
Yves Saint Laurent unveils new designer fragrances – 11/10/05
